


Clowns, Fiery Love Triangles, and Joking Around - Sherlock S03/Dark Knight Parallels and Homages

by mollydobby (frangipane)



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-06
Updated: 2014-02-06
Packaged: 2018-01-11 08:53:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1171129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frangipane/pseuds/mollydobby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock is threaded throughout with plot points, dialogue, and imagery related to Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. This is especially true for Sherlock S03. Will we see more in Sherlock S04?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clowns, Fiery Love Triangles, and Joking Around - Sherlock S03/Dark Knight Parallels and Homages

Posted on Tumblr as: http://mollydobby.tumblr.com/post/75756350368/clowns-fiery-love-triangles-and-joking-around

**Sherlock is threaded throughout with plot points, dialogue, and imagery related to Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.**

In The Empty Hearse (TEH), Sherlock, having been summoned back to Baker Street, appears to be somewhat ambivalent about returning to resume his previous existence:

 

> **Sherlock:** "I don’t even know what that’s supposed to mean [ _being Sherlock Holmes_ ].” 
> 
> **Sherlock:** "Anyway, time to go be Sherlock Holmes." 

By the end of His Last Vow (HLV), Sherlock has become a vigilante - having shot Magnussen - and is positioned via Watson’s narration as the East Wind: “this terrifying force that lays waste to all in its path … seeks out the unworthy and plucks them from the earth.”

A lone crusader who feels ambivalent about the burden of his responsibilty, with a flair for being dramatic in the dark … Sherlock bears more than a passing similarity to the Dark Knight. 

Bonus association - _what is a dragon slayer, if not a knight?_

 

> **Sherlock:** A dragon slayer? Is that what you think of me?
> 
> **Mycroft:** No, it’s what you think of yourself. 

**Let’s take a closer look at Sherlock S03.**

**1\.  Clowns and Heists**

The Sign of Three (SoT) opens with Waters gang (in clown disguise) committing a series of heists. The Dark Knight (DK) opens with a gang in clown disguise robbing a bank.

The DK bank robbery involves the gang of thieves double-crossing and killing each other during the crime until one (The Joker) is left. This is very similar to the Arthur Conan Doyle (ACD) canon for Sign of Four, where Sholto double-crosses both Morstan and Small and steals the Agra treasure for himself. When Sherlock catches up with Small, the Agra iron treasure box is empty - Small claims to have dumped the treasure over the side during the chase.

In Sherlock, we got Mary Morstan all through S03 along with her marriage to John, Major Sholto and Jonathan Small in SoT, and A.G.R.A. in His Last Vow (HLV).  

**S04 Speculation**

Will we find out more about the Waters gang?

Since we know Mary went free-lance for a while, was she involved in the heist somehow? Or Sherlock’s version of the Joker involved? (More about that in a bit.)

Will we find out more the contents on the A.G.R.A. USB drive? Is it really empty?

**2\.  Love Triangles**

 

DK has the Bruce Wayne / Rachel Dawes / Harvey Dent love triangle. Sherlock S03 has the Sherlock Holmes / John Watson / Mary Morstan love triangle.

**Dialogue from DK:**

 

> **Rachel:**  “Bruce, don’t make me your only hope for a normal life.”
> 
> **Harvey:**  “Any psychotic ex-boyfriends I should be aware of?”
> 
> **Alfred:**  “Oh, you have no idea.” ( _smiles_ )

**Dialogue from HLV – the roles in the triangle are different, but the theme is similar:**

 

> **John:**  “Is everyone I ever met a psychopath?”
> 
> **Sherlock:**  “You’re abnormally attracted to dangerous situations and people …“
> 
> **John:**  “But she wasn’t supposed to be like that.”

**Bonus Easter egg -**  

The DK love triangle scene was filmed at [Criterion Restaurant](http://www.criterionrestaurant.com/history) in London, where ACD had Stamford mention Holmes to Watson. Also, there is speculation that ACD based Professor Moriarty on [Adam Worth](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Worth) (the real life “Napoleon of Crime”), who used to share meals at the Criterion with Allan Pinkerton (who created the Pinkerton Agency).

Back to the love triangle in DK. The Joker sets up a trap for Batman, where Rachel and Harvey are in separate buildings filled with explosives. Batman is tricked into going to Harvey’s building, and Rachel is killed.

**3\.  Dangerous Fires**

As Sherlock said in ASiB, “Amazing how fire exposes our priorities.”

Bonus association - _Sherlock rescuing John from the bonfire, like a knight rescuing his damsel in distress:_

 

> **Magnussen:** But look at how you care about John Watson. Your damsel in distress.  

[ _Let’s also not forget the Rizla game in TSoT, where John has ‘Madonna’ on his forehead, and asks Sherlock: “Am I a pretty lady?”_

_And there we have Sherlock in S03 as a knight in a courtly love story - placing his loved one on a pedestal for worship (the best man’s speech), swearing his love, fealty, and_ protection.]

**S04 Speculation**

**Will someone have to choose whom to rescue?**

 

> John: Sherlock or Mary
> 
> Sherlock: John or Mary
> 
> Sherlock: John or Mycroft

… or do we just count the bonfire scene in TEH as a visual parallel and keep going?

**4\.  Joker vs Moriarty**

Let’s talk more about the Joker – he begins in DK as a “consulting criminal” with a wide streak of mayhem: “Why so serious?” He loves playing with fire. He killed Rachel, the love of Bruce’s life, in a fire – burned the heart out of him. 

And then there’s Moriarty, who was a consulting criminal in Sherlock S01 and S02. 

 

> **Moriarty:** “I will burn you. I will burn… the heart out of you.” (TGG)
> 
> **Moriarty:** “Just tryin’ to have some fun.” (TRF)

**Given the above, is this just visually similar or does the Joker hold hints for S04 plot?**

****

Now, I have a theory that Janine may actually be Moriarty’s sister (read it [here **[x]**](../collections/SherlockMeta/works/1152537)), and that S04 is not Moriarty back to life, but Janine avenging Jim against Sherlock.

[ _This also gives us a callback to ACD’s Harry Watson, now Harriet Watson in Sherlock: “Sister! There’s always something.” from ASiP._ ]

**Janine:**  “You don’t have to look so scared. I’m only messing with you.” (SoT) _ <\- So, joking with Sherlock then. Why so serious, indeed?_

__

**5\. Other miscellaneous parallels in dialogue and imagery between DK and Sherlock S03:**

 

> **John:**  “No, just used to a better class of criminal.” (HLV, at the drug den)

> **Joker:**  “This city deserves a better class of criminal.”

Check out Sherlock in CAM Towers at night versus Batman in Lau’s Hong Kong building at night (especially the lampshade):

Not to mention Mary Morstan who broke into CAM Towers, just like Batman infiltrating Lau’s building.

[ _All right, maybe less broken glass was involved in Sherlock. But Sherlock did burst through a pane of glass at St. Bart’s in the TEH opener, which was the manoeuvre that Batman used here._

_Khan did it too, so maybe it’s just one of those things one does to show off when one’s known to be indestructible._ ]

**The similarities also extend to the Dark Knight Rises.**

Compare this shot with the one in HLV:

**6\. Selina Kyle / Catwoman in Dark Knight Rises vs Mary Morstan and Irene Adler**

Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman) is Batman’s sometimes ally in The Dark Knight Rises. After being promised the software to erase her criminal record, Selina agrees to take Batman to Bane, but instead leads him into Bane’s trap - where Bane proceeds to severely injure and imprison Batman, putting him temporarily out of commission before he manages to escape. Selina ends up working with Batman against Bane.

[ _Bane is not really included in this discussion, but it is possible in S04 to have Mary Morstan working ‘against’ Moriarty in some uneasy alliance with Sherlock and company for her own reasons._

_And there’s this exchange between Janine and Sherlock at the hospital._

 

> **Janine:** They actually attach the drugs to you!
> 
> **Sherlock:** Not good for working.
> 
> **Janine:** You won’t be working for a while, Sherl.

_Oh dear. Is this conversation going to take on a more ominous light in S04?_ ]

There are shades of Selena in Mary’s story - what with Mary looking out for her own self-interests and trying to hide / erase her old identity. Makes one wonder about A.G.R.A…

There are also shades of Selina in Irene Adler, and it’s not just the slash of red lipstick.

Irene’s first encounter with Sherlock ends similarly to Selina’s first encounter with Bruce – both women disarm the men and leave them gasping on the floor:

And leaves the scene by leaping backwards out the window: 

For a bonus reference, we have Sherlock being the ‘exception’ for Irene (and John) in ASiB.

* * *

 

**It will be interesting to see if there are more parallels and homages to the Nolan Batman trilogy in S04 and S05.**

After all, Sherlock needs to return in S04 because  ~~Gotham~~  England needs him. 

**However, even Bruce Wayne got to vacation in Florence eventually. Perhaps Sherlock will get to vacation in Sussex …**

_And that’s the end of our slightly batty dance – thanks for reading!_


End file.
